> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://archie.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Generating a plan > Submit an idea and let Archie produce your plan. Generating a plan is the first thing that happens when you create a project. This page covers how it works and what to expect. ## Submitting an idea From **New project**, type your idea in the input. There is no prompt template, no required structure, no character minimum. Archie infers what is missing. Examples that work: * "A booking system for a small dental practice." * "A course platform where teachers upload lessons and students pay per course. Stripe for payments. Email notifications when a new lesson is published." * A few paragraphs describing your app in detail. Click submit. Archie creates the project and starts generating. New project input with an example idea filled in ## Improving your prompt Before you submit, use the AI Assistant to refine what you typed. Click the wand icon next to the input to open **Improve**, **Expand**, and **Condense**. AI Assistant menu with Improve, Expand, and Condense options * **Improve** — Rewrites your prompt to be more accurate and specific. * **Expand** — Adds detail: user roles, features, screens, and data models inferred from your idea. * **Condense** — Tightens a long or detailed prompt into a more direct version while keeping the key requirements. For example, typing "A booking app for a hair salon" and clicking **Improve** turns it into a structured brief with user roles, features, and data models: Improve result showing a structured prompt with user roles and features **Expand** takes the same short prompt further, adding more complete detail across every section: Expand result showing a more detailed and complete prompt **Condense** works the other way: paste in a long, detailed description and it distills it down to the essentials: Condense result showing a shortened version of a long, detailed prompt Each option opens a preview with **Insert** and **Retry** buttons. Click **Insert** to replace your prompt with the generated version, or **Retry** to generate again. You can also type additional instructions below the preview to steer the result, or run another Improve, Expand, or Condense pass directly from the preview panel. ## Answering clarifying questions Before drafting the plan, Archie may show **A few quick questions** — a short set of decisions it would otherwise have to guess. Each question explains why it matters and takes one of three forms: single-choice, multi-select, or a short free-text answer. A few quick questions screen with single-choice, multi-select, and free-text questions You can answer some questions and leave others blank, then click **Continue**, or click **Skip — decide for me** to let Archie make every call. Skipped questions aren't left silent — Archie states its assumption directly in the plan instead. ## What happens during generation Generation usually completes in 30–60 seconds. While it runs: * The plan page shows a waiting state with status updates * The connection reconnects automatically if you close the tab and come back When generation finishes, the plan page populates with all its sections (Overview, Modules, User types, System services, Integrations). Archie also picks a tech stack for the build behind the scenes — it is not part of the plan and is not shown or editable there. ## What you get The first plan is a starting point, not a final answer. Expect: * **Modules** that capture the major features in your idea * **User types** inferred from the description (admin, customer, and so on) * **System services** chosen based on what your app needs (auth, file storage) * **Integrations** matched to features in your idea (Stripe if you mentioned payments) If the first pass is wrong in places, that is normal. Editing is the next step. ## Reviewing clarifying questions later Once the plan exists, a **Clarifying Questions** / **Plan** toggle appears at the top of the plan page. Switch to **Clarifying Questions** to see the same questions again — each one shows either the answer you picked or an **Archie decided** badge with the assumption Archie made for a skipped question. Clarifying Questions view showing Archie's assumptions for skipped questions This view is read-only. To change an answer, edit the relevant plan section directly or ask the [plan chat](/docs/features/plan/iterating) to apply the change. ## Re-generating You can regenerate a plan section if it is significantly off. Use the regenerate dropdown in the section header. Regeneration costs credits — usually a small amount per section. For smaller changes, edit directly or use the [plan chat](/docs/features/plan/iterating). ## FAQ The plan page shows an error and lets you retry. If retries also fail, contact support. Initial plan generation is included. Regenerating individual sections may use a small number of credits. Paste it as your idea. Archie reads structured notes (bulleted lists, headings) the same as flowing prose. Archie makes its best call on every one and states each assumption in the plan instead of leaving it silent. Review the **Clarifying Questions** view afterward to see what it decided.